Page 91 - LTC - TOEFL PREP MODULE

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In the first example the prepositional phrase of place in the closet causes the subject
clothes to come after the verb are. In the second example the prepositional phrase of
place around the corner causes the subject house to come after the verb is. In the last
example the prepositional phrase of place beyond the mountains causes the subject town
to come after the verb lies.

It is important (and a bit difficult) to understand that the subject and verb will invert
after place expressions at the beginning of a sentence only when the place expression is
necessary to complete the sentence. Study the following examples:

In the forest are many exotic birds.

In the forest L walked for many hours.

In the first example the subject birds and verb are are inverted because the place expression
in the forest is needed to complete the idea many exotic birds are ...... In the second
exa'mple the subject I and the verb walked are not inverted because the idea I walked for
many hours is complete without the place expression in the forest; the place expression is
therefore not needed to complete the sentence.
The following example shows how this sentence pattern could be tested in the Structure
section of the TOEFL test.

Example

On the second level of the parking lot ................. ..
(A) is empty
(B) are empty
(C) some empty stalls are
(D) are some empty stalls

This example begins with the place expression on the second level of the parking lot,
which consists of two prepositional phrases, on the second level and of the parking lot.
This sentence needs a subject and a verb to be complete, and the two answers that
contain both a subject stalls and verb are are answers (C) and (D); The subject and verb
should be inverted because the place expression is necessary to complete the idea some
empty stalls are ............. The best answer is therefore answer (D).
The following chart lists the sentence patterns used with place expressions:

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